Food Lab by Tildas
“Asian Confusion”
If you have read some of my other reviews, you know, that I am a big fan of Asian cuisine. Food Lab by Tildas right next to Kville Saluhall offers a so-called Asian confusion. But what exactly do they mean by that?
Food Lab by Tildas is a popular place. We tried to go there spontaneously for a while, but they are usually fully booked in the evenings and then the spontaneous visit is not happening. This time, we were lucky and managed to get a spot on a Sunday evening. To be fair, we just often don’t plan in advance where we want to eat in a week.
In any case, the interior has plenty of street signs and simple furniture. It reminds me of sitting outside on a busy street in Asia. So, not super comfortable or fancy, but atmospheric.
The menu offers only very few vegan options, with Tofu Bao Buns, Wontons and…Cauliflower with potatoes? The latter seems odd, but it’s the only larger portion, so we went for the entire trinity of vegan options and added some Edamame to it as a side snack.
All arrived quite fast, but also quite cold. It seems they prep many portions in advance when it starts to get busy and lose track of it somewhat.
So, one by one. Edamame are weird. Steamed on point, but the sauce is just off. It tastes like burned sesame oil almost. Not a fan. The Wontons are overfried, but the shiitake filling is quite nice and the sauce they are placed in gives a good contrast. The Tofu Bao Buns are okay. The tofu is overfried as well and dry, the combination of flavours acceptable and the buns themselves dried out. Probably because they were sitting pre-prepped for too long. And lastly, the cauliflower. I have to say, I don’t get it. It’s acceptable. A bit too cold. But the flavour profile is something I’d expect at Tullen around Kvilletorget, not in an Asian-themed restaurant. Not a fan.
And that’s it. Four dishes, all so-so. Price-wise it’s a mixed bag, as the portion sizes are small and in order to get full you need to order more than just buns, and then you quickly land at a price-point that is just too high for the quality. Especially around Hisingen. It’s nice that there is a somewhat different Asian concept on Hisingen, but the execution falls short.
Price:
Edamame: 49 SEK
2x Tofu Bao Buns: 119 SEK
Vegan Wonton: 104 SEK
Cauliflower Main: 184 SEK
The Verdict
Food Labs by Tildas calls itself Asian Confusion, and that is probably the most accurate description. I am confused after eating here. Most of the dishes are what I expect, though average in quality. But whether it’s the weird sauce on the Edamame, or the cauliflower with potatoes that belongs to a Swedish pub. I am not sure what this place wants, and it seems they don’t know it either. It’s okay to have some tofu bao buns on the go if you don’t want to cross the bridge to go to Jinx, but that’s it. Underwhelming at best.
3/5 Leaves
Pro
Nice “Streets of China” atmosphere
Fast service
Con
Small selection of vegan options
average food at best
Cauliflower main doesn’t fit the restaurant
Location
Gustaf Dalénsgatan 6
Opening Hours
Mo: closed
Tu-Th: 16:00 - 23:00
Fr: 16:00 - 01:00
Sa: 13:00 - 01:00
Su: 12:00 - 22:00
